


Rubus Green

by NescitOccasum



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Fantasy setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-17
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-11 20:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17453465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NescitOccasum/pseuds/NescitOccasum
Summary: After finishing his apprenticeship, Hajime is formally adopted into a side branch of a prestigious family of stewards. With a new name and a new position in one of the kingsguard's barracks, things are looking up for Hajime - on the surface. The Eastern cavalry barrack has its secrets, not the least of which is the vampire hiding within its ranks. Quietly, slowly, Hajime learns how to use magic he'd never known he had and finds how to make his own name in the world.





	Rubus Green

In Lunbrig, it was said that every steward’s name was Fushimi. The man across the street placing an order with the grocer? He was a Fushimi. The stately woman brushing sweet crumbs from a young girl’s expensive looking dress? A Fushimi. The staff in the grand estates lining the streets of the castle town’s richest neighborhoods? All of them certainly had at least a Fushimi or two among them.

For all Hajime knew, it may very well have been the Fushimis themselves who started the saying. Anyone in Lunbrig could tell you the who bred the best butlers and maids. Every steward worth calling a steward was named Fushimi.

It was an honor to be called by the name, _especially_ so if it wasn’t your own. That’s what the nobles of marginal importance would have you believe, anyways, that it was a testament to your skills to be mistaken for a someone of such higher status. Hajime hated to think it, but a little part of him knew the nobles hardly cared to remember the servants’ real names. As long as at least one of them was arguably of Fushimi quality, it would suffice to bundle the whole lot as “Fushimi and the rest.”

Perhaps that why Hajime felt so unchanged seeing his new family name printed on letters, hearing in on new kins’ lips. Why he felt less excited introducing himself at his new station in the kingsguard than he would have ever _dreamed_ as a child scrubbing tavern floors for stale bread. It was because Hajime Fushimi had always been a “Fushimi.”

After all, who’d ever heard of the house of “Shino?” The Shino family had never even owned a house.

***

“He~y. Fushimi, help carry me up the stairs.”

Hajime tiltled his head across the yard, spotting two of the knights rounding the hedged corner into the front garden – Captain Narukami and Sir Sakuma, back from their inspection of the Southern watchtowers.

Hajime smiled pleasantly at the two, setting his half-folded stack of laundry aside to whirl over to the front steps, waiting to guide Sakuma up them.

Captain Narukami shot Sakuma a look with a dramatic gasp. “ _Ritsu_ , honey, you can’t just call the housekeeper ‘Fushimi.’ You worked the last one twice as hard as any of the other knights. The least you could do is remember his proper name! …What is your name, again?”

In his week of working as the steward for the Eastern cavalry barrack, Hajime had yet to form an opinion on Captain Narukami. He was a little too self-assured for Hajime to keep up with, though Hajime knew he meant no ill will. He’d heard the Captain had worked up the ranks with charm and honest effort and was supportive of others attempting the same, so Hajime wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Before Hajime could open his mouth to answer his name, though, Sakuma answered for him.

“His proper name _is_ Fushimi. Hajime Fushimi. And if my information is correct, which it is, he’s the new chief steward, not just a random housekeeper.”

His piece said, Sakuma flopped over onto Hajime’s extended arm, eyelids drooping. Hajime silently nodded, leading Sakuma him up the cobblestone steps to a shady bench.

Captain Narukami looked at them both with a puzzled expression.

“What happened to the pudgy woman who was in charge of them before, then? Bless her heart, she knew the best gossip in Lunbrig.”

Sakuma snorted, and motioned at Hajime with a small grin twisting the corner of his lip.

Hajime turned back towards the Captain. “Captain Narukami, if I may?”

The Captain waved at him, so Hajime continued, “She is with child.”

Sakuma chuckled softly at this, gleefully whispering “pudgy!” to himself very much loudly enough for Hajime and the Captain to hear. Hajime pretended not to notice and continued.

“Given its size and with respect for the medical condition of one of the residents, this barrack is maintained by one steward and a minimal staff based in the Eastern infantry barrack. As I presume you are aware, only the steward lives in residence at the Eastern cavalry barrack, so the position requires more physical labor than is typical of those in our position. In consideration for her health, the Family has transferred Mrs. Whitter to the Himemiya’s summer villa in Faerswell.”

Captain Narukami let out a loud sigh. “God, that’s not even _fair_. What do _I_ have to do to get transferred to Faerswell? Not to be dramatic or anything, but that’s like _literally_ the most gorgeous city in the whole country.”  
Captain Narukami twirled a lock of hair around a finger, then flipped it back behind an ear.

“ _Anyways_ , looks like we’re both stuck here for now, Fushimi darling. Hope you’re not squeamish.”

With that, the Captain strolled off into the barrack, leaving Hajime alone in the yard with Sir Sakuma.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally meant to be a sidestory in a rpg-ish fantasy Sora fic, but at some point I realized I'd written more for my HajiRitsu agenda than the actual story, so I decided to try rewriting it as a standalone. In the rpg Sora story, Hajime and Ritsu ran a teahouse with a secret apothecary business that Sora's party used to get key item ingredients combined into potions to dispel layers of a curse. idk if I'll ever post the Sora story, but anyways this story's gonna be how Hajime and Ritsu met each other, fell in love, and ended up running a hidden alchemy lab together. 
> 
> Dunno how wild I'll go with the romancey bits, so I'll add tags and possibly change the rating as I go. There's blood-drinking planned in later chapters, but that's the only taggy thing coming up I can really think of for now aside from Hajime's last name being "Fushimi" lol. Main focus is HajiRitsu, but other pairs might be mentioned in passing. Other characters who'll for sure show up later are Yuzuru, Tori, Knights, Ex-valk, Tsumugi, and Rei.


End file.
